Long term vascular access is a common medical procedure used in several medical situations including dialysis for patients requiring frequent dialysis treatments, chemotherapy treatment or ventricular assist device use. Different devices and different methods are used depending on patient needs. Long term vascular access in patients needing ventricular assist devices is common through an open chest procedure and direct cardiovascular access.
Lately there has been a move toward the use of peripheral vessels to access the cardiovascular system in order to avoid traumatic open chest surgery. The move toward the use of peripheral vessels instead of central cardiovascular vessels has been accompanied by the development of a large number of specific devices and tools that are specifically designed for peripheral use. Vascular introducers are the most common devices that have been developed to allow peripheral vascular access. For providing access to a vessel, an introducer sheath usually is directly pierced into a vessel, in particular with the help of a dilator.
Once a medical device, such as a catheter, has been inserted through the introducer sheath into a patient's vessel, the introducer sheath usually is no longer needed and it is desired to remove it. However, since the medical device may be connected to a device external to the patient's body, such as a power source, the introducer sheath cannot be simply retracted but has to be peeled away from the medical device. Commonly, the introducer sheath is separated along its length in a longitudinal direction so that the resulting pieces can be removed from the patient. In order to assist in splitting the introducer sheath, handles may be provided that can be gripped by a user, for example a surgeon, to apply a breaking force. Usually, a hemostatic valve at the distal portion of the introducer sheath has to be broken, which requires a high initial force. This cumbersome procedure can cause difficulties and harm to the patient, for instance if the medical device is inadvertently retracted when the handles are actuated to apply the breaking force.